Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Subaru Motorsports USA Overcomes Severe Weather To Win Rally In The 100 Acre Wood
Subaru Motorsports driver Brandon Semenuk, alongside co-driver Keaton Williams, triumphed at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, marking their fourth consecutive victory at this event. Despite facing challenges such as forest fires, tornadoes, and mechanical issues, they secured the win in the second event of the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) season. Their pursuit of a fourth straight ARA championship continues at the Olympus Rally in Washington on April 12-13.
During Friday's initial stages, an electrical problem caused intermittent throttle loss in their WRX ARA25 vehicle. This issue could have been disastrous if it occurred at a critical moment during a stage. "The throttle would just completely go away," explained Semenuk. "It could be a bad day if it happened at the wrong moment so we had to manage the issue, plus be a bit more reserved in the drive."
The first day's final two stages were cancelled due to severe weather conditions that included strong winds, forest fires, and tornadoes across Missouri. One tornado struck Rolla, located about 20 miles from the rally stages, causing significant damage to homes and businesses. Subaru Motorsports USA expressed their support for those affected in Rolla and other impacted areas.
Thanks to dedicated crews working overnight and enthusiastic rally fans, Saturday's stages were cleared of debris and well-attended. With improved weather conditions, Semenuk and Williams focused on navigating technical stages to earn valuable powerstage points along with their overall victory.
"The stages weren’t easy," noted co-driver Keaton Williams. "Lots of rocks and real technical bumps. It was a good recovery for us. Couldn’t have gone any better, so, happy." Semenuk added his satisfaction with their performance: "Happy with the pace. Great start to the year. Olympus is next."
The upcoming Olympus Rally marks the beginning of the ARA season's West Coast segment. Semenuk eagerly anticipates this event: "So, to the West Coast," he says looking forward to racing, "basically my back yard. Olympus is one of my favorite events on the calendar. The roads are fantastic -- classic, proper rally roads."
About Subaru Motorsports USA
Subaru Motorsports USA operates under Subaru of America, Inc., managed by Vermont SportsCar with support from MOTUL, Yokohama Tires, R53 Suspension, Triple-R Lights, DirtFish Rally School, and Sparco USA.
Subaru of America markets Subaru vehicles through approximately 640 retailers across the U.S., emphasising environmental responsibility by manufacturing products in zero-landfill plants like Subaru of Indiana Automotive.
The company is committed to community support through initiatives like the Subaru Love Promise and has donated over $320 million to various causes over two decades while employees have contributed over 100,000 volunteer hours.
Continue with Google